Mayors for the ROE Act
17 mayors from across the state declared their support for the ROE Act and sent the following letter to members of the Massachusetts legislature:
“Members of the Massachusetts Legislature:
We, the undersigned mayors from cities across the Commonwealth, are writing to express our strong and urgent support for H.3320 and S.1209, or the ROE Act.
For years, opponents of safe, legal abortion have fought to turn back the clock on reproductive rights and access to abortion care: stacking the federal courts with anti-abortion judges; passing unconstitutional legislation; spreading inflammatory misinformation; imposing arbitrary restrictions; and waging one legal battle after another.
With the U.S. Supreme Court poised to further erode or eliminate Roe v. Wade, Massachusetts must fortify its own commitment to reproductive rights and modernize its own laws so every person can decide for themselves if and when to become a parent. That is why, as mayors concerned with the well-being of our residents, we support the ROE Act and declare that abortion is health care, plain and simple. In the face of national threats, it’s time our laws reflect our Commonwealth’s commitment to reproductive freedom and health care access.
Even in Massachusetts, the right to safe, legal abortion does not translate into equitable access for all people. The ROE Act will ensure that our laws reflect our values, treat pregnant people with compassion when they discover late in pregnancy that the fetus cannot survive, and enable young people to access care without being forced to plead their case in court. In a state known for high-quality health care access, no person should have to delay care, share personal details of their life with a judge, or cross state lines in order to access abortion.
Many residents of our cities have long faced structural barriers to care that have created serious health disparities. When all people have the support and care they need, they are empowered to build healthy, fulfilling lives. As mayors, it is our responsibility to do everything in our power to promote the health, safety and economic security of every person in our communities. That means ensuring that all residents have equitable access to a full range of reproductive health care services, including safe, legal abortion.
We are speaking out because we want Massachusetts to blaze a clear path forward for health care access, women’s rights, and reproductive freedom.
We respectfully urge you to advance the ROE Act.
Sincerely,
Martin J. Walsh
Mayor of Boston
Daniel Rivera
Mayor of Lawrence
Dr. Yvonne M. Spicer
Mayor of Framingham
David J. Narkewicz
Mayor of Northampton
Stephanie Burke
Mayor of Medford
Marc McGovern
Mayor of Cambridge
Donna Holaday
Mayor of Newburyport
Gail Infurna
Mayor of Melrose
Joseph Curtatone
Mayor of Somerville
Nicole LaChapelle
Mayor of Easthampton
Joseph M. Petty
Mayor of Worcester
Alex Morse
Mayor of Holyoke
Ruthanne Fuller
Mayor of Newton
Kimberly Driscoll
Mayor of Salem
Jon Mitchell
Mayor of New Bedford
Michael Cahill
Mayor of Beverly
Gary Christenson
Mayor of Malden”
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